18 April 2012 to 3 June 2012

ABOUT KARL KOENIG: Albuquerque ,New Mexico USA is Karl’s home town where his beautiful studio set up for not only his work but to teach students who come from various parts of the world to learn about Gumoil. Karl has published and exhibited work extensively throughout the world. He published his first book on the gumoil in 1994 (Focal Press, Boston) Karl works mainly with two processes: polychromatic gumoil, which he discovered in 1990, and non-toxic photogravure which uses Solar Plates. More about Karl http://www.gumoil.com/

Eternal Prague is a series haunting images exploring the spirit of survival in communist Czechoslovakia in 1989. Each image is handmade in gelatine silver,  enhansing the spiritual binding thread which unites each photograph.

Celebrate with Joyce at the official opening on Sunday 26th of February 2pm until 4.30pm

For more information about this exhibition click this link Eternal Prague 

7 December 2011 to 19 February 2012

ABOUT KARL KOENIG: Albuquerque ,New Mexico USA is Karl’s home town where his beautiful studio set up for not only his work but to teach students who come from various parts of the world to learn about Gumoil. Karl has published and exhibited work extensively throughout the world. He published his first book on the gumoil in 1994 (Focal Press, Boston) Karl works mainly with two processes: polychromatic gumoil, which he discovered in 1990, and non-toxic photogravure which uses Solar Plates. More about Karl http://www.gumoil.com/

Runs 26th October to 4th December 2011

About Gordon:

Gordon Undy is a fine art photographer working from his studio in Sydney, Australia.

He took a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours at the University of Queensland and worked in and around the computer industry until 1991 when he was able to commit to photography full time on his own terms.

His passion is to interpret the intimate Australian landscape through photographs made in silver-gelatin, platinum/palladium and printing out paper. Field work is done in a variety of format sizes from 35mm to the 8×10 field camera.

Undy favours an approach which honours the unique qualities of the photographic medium in recording and representing the nuances of light with a high degree of fidelity. His photographs explore the ideas of direct acceptance of the landscape, increasingly uncovering the inherent order in seeming chaos and delighting in the fractal nature of things.

He studied landscape photography with Paul Caponigro and fine printing with George Tice who also introduced him to the craft of platinum/palladium in 1994. His photographs are held in private, public and corporate collections in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the USA. He is represented by:

point light gallery	Sydney, Australia
62 Robertson	Brisbane, Australia
Gold Street Studios	Trentham East Vic, Australia
June Bateman Gallery	New York, NY

For More Information: http://www.pointlight.com.au/art_undy.html

Fine art palladium photographs by Steve Tester

Official Opening: 16th September 2011 6.30 to 8.00 pm

Runs 15th September to 23rd October 2011

Lanjanuc, central to the homeland of the Dja Dja Wurrung people of Central Victoria, and known to us today as Mount Alexander, is a 350 million year old granite mountain, dominating its surrounds.

Lanjanuc, a quiet spiritual place, preserves its secrets among granite tors and massive boulders; a place to feel the peace, taste the air and listen to the grass.

These photographs by Stephen Tester, crafted by hand coating the precious metal palladium on to archival paper; brings the essence of Lanjunuc to life in a respectful and delicate way. The sympathetic capturing of the light’s effect on the landscape is testament to Stephen’s connection with the place called Lanjanuc.

About Steve:

Stephen Tester is a fine art landscape photographer, and has held a fascination for photography ever since he made his first contact print at the age of 9. Influenced by the work of Edward Weston,Paul Caponigro, Michael Kenna, Don Worth, George Tice and Gordon Undy, he developed his skills in workshops at Sydney University, Point Light Studio, and Black Mountain Photography.

He is attracted to photograph those places that he connects to and engages with. He is not only concerned with the physical objects seen through the camera, but the elusiveness of the moment; the light that falls upon the scene, the breeze, sounds and scents that together form the quiet sense of place, its soul.

His use of large format film cameras combined with hand crafting each photograph provides the means to create unique, individual photographs unconstrained by proprietary processes.

A resident of Castlemaine, Victoria, he exhibits in Sydney, Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

For More Information: stephentester.com.au
   

Iron & Icons

Mike Ware

Runs 17th August to 14th September

Join Mike at the offical opening on Sunday 28th August at 4.30 pm
and discover his wonderful Chrysotype, Argyrotype, Platinotype and New Cyanotype photographs
Since the first days of photography there have been alternatives to silver for print-making. In 1842 Sir John Herschel discovered that light-sensitive salts of iron could be used to make prints in the pigment Prussian blue (cyanotype), or the precious metals: gold (chrysotype), silver (argentotype), and mercury (celaenotype). In 1873 William Willis extended this list to platinotype and in 1917 to palladiotype. These iron-based printing methods are known collectively as siderotypes, from the Greek for iron: sideros. Fine paper is hand-coated with the chemicals and exposed to an ultra-violet lamp in contact with a large negative. Print colour may be chosen to suit the artist’s expressive intention for the image. These examples have been selected from various sets of Mike Ware’s work to illustrate the range and characteristics of his updated siderotype processes.

MIKE WARE: Following an academic career in chemistry, Mike has been independently committed since 1992 to studying the history, science, and art of ‘alternative’ photographic processes, especially siderotypes – those based on iron photochemistry. He has supervised postgraduate research in photograph conservation, and acts as a consultant to major museums. He exhibits his personal photographic work, and conducts workshops, worldwide. His research has appeared in over 50 publications in both the popular and academic literature, including four books.

http://www.mikeware.co.uk

The Processes:

Argyrotype

Overview: This ‘user-friendly’ iron-based silver printing process was devised in 1996, using an unusual salt – silver sulphamate – in a ‘single-bottle’ sensitizer solution, having a long shelf-life, to avoid the problems of image loss caused by silver nitrate. The resulting purplish-brown print of nanoparticle silver has better prospects of endurance and a finer gradation than the traditional iron-silver processes, and may be readily toned.
Background: The Argyrotype process is a latter-day improvement on the late nineteenth century processes of Kallitype, Van Dyke, Sepiaprint, and Brownprint, which were, in turn, all offspring of Sir John Herschel’s Argentotype of 1842.
http://www.mikeware.co.uk/mikeware/Argyrotype_Process.html

New Chrysotype

Overview: The New Chrysotype process has tonal and surface qualities and permanence like Platinotype-Palladiotype, but the added feature of beautifully muted colours, controlled by the chemistry and physics of the process. The photographic artist should find here a whole new palette of non-literal colour to explore in printing archival ‘monochrome’ images.
Background: Herschel’s original gold-printing process of 1842, which he dubbed Chrysotype, encountered difficulties which prevented its adoption into the photographic repertoire.This ‘forgotten’ process was revived in a novel version in 1987 by means of some sophisticated modern chemistry, which made it both economic and controllable.

http://www.mikeware.co.uk/mikeware/New_Chrysotype_Process.html

http://www.mikeware.co.uk/mikeware/Prints_of_Gold.html

http://www.goldbulletin.org/downloads/ware_3_39.pdf

New Cyanotype

Overview: This process provides an image in stable Prussian blue pigment, from a ‘single-bottle’ sensitizer solution having a long shelf-life.  Requiring only a short UV exposure, it yields a superbly graduated tonal scale, on a matte paper surface, having a maximum density verging on black. The image colour may be easily modified by a variety of toning agents, and the inexpensive sensitizer may also be applied to fabrics and other surfaces.
Background: Sir John Herschel’s traditional cyanotype process, now practiced for 166 years, became known as Blueprint, the first reprographic process. It is the oldest, simplest, safest, and cheapest alternative photographic process – but not the best in image quality! The drawbacks of the traditional cyanotype process were overcome in 1995 with this chemically up-dated version.

http://www.mikeware.co.uk/mikeware/New_Cyanotype_Process.html

Platinotype-Palladiotype

Overview: Printing in platinum and palladium is acknowledged as the summit of alternative processes – images formed in totally permanent ‘noble’ metal, exquisitely graduated in tones of neutral grey or warm sepia, with a beguiling luminosity in the high values. This modernized version provides a ‘print-out’ image, having some advantages in economy, accessible chemistry, and exposure. Platinum and palladium may be used individually, or mixed in any proportion, allowing control of image hue and contrast.
Background: Platinotype has attracted photographic artist-practitioners since William Willis’s invention of 1873, and became the dominant process in 1900, but was commercially discontinued by 1937. The traditional method is substantially a development process, in contrast to the present version.

http://www.mikeware.co.uk/mikeware/Platino-Palladiotype.html

http://www.mikeware.co.uk/mikeware/Eighth_Metal.html

http://www.platinummetalsreview.com/dynamic/article/view/49-4-190-195

Twlight Carousel

Gum Bichromate photographs

Ellie Young

Runs 22nd July to 16th August

Carousel horses invoke memories of childhood dreams, fun and laughter. As the light fades from the fairground these painted creatures take you to another time and place. Glimpses of colour and shapes emerge from the night providing a sense of a mystery and romance.

Ellie Young exhibits locally, nationally and internationally with work in private and public collections around the world.
Gum Bichromate process allows colour printing from black & white contact negatives in numerous colours allowing a high degree of artistic control in this beautiful print making process. Colour layers are built up by repeated coatings using pin registration.

In 1839 Mungo Ponton discovered light sensitivity of dichromates. John Pouncy used colored pigment with gum Arabic to create the first color images in 1858.